Breaking Point
by Epeefencer
Summary: Everyone has a breaking point. What happens when Harry is pushed beyond his and who will help him when he needs someone the most.


**Breaking Point**

**Chapter One**

Harry slowly made his way down towards the dungeons, his feelings of dread building the closer he got. His mind flashing back to the looks that Snape had been glaring at him all through breakfast.

Harry let out a deep sigh, knowing it was going to be another long and trying class with his most dreaded teacher. A feeling of deep melancholy settled over him. Ever since his first class, Snape had done nothing but to try and make Harry's life as miserable as possible, especially during class. Harry was just glad that it was Friday and that he would get a break over the weekend.

Just as he made it to the Potions classroom and was setting up his cauldron, his two best friends caught up to him.

"Hey mate. Why didn't you wait up for us?" his best mate Ron Weasley asked, sounding a bit perturbed.

Harry rolled his eyes, but was fortunately looking in the other direction so that it wasn't noticed.

"Yes, Harry," came the voice of Hermione Granger. "You should have waited up," she added testily.

Harry just gave a shrug. "It's not like you didn't know the way," he mumbled, a deep frown upon his face.

He heard Hermione gasp and Ron mumbling something that sounded vaguely threatening but he ignored it and continued to set up his work station.

He had just finished and was noting the other students, particularly the Slytherins as the class settled down waiting for Snape to appear.

Harry couldn't help himself as he felt the sense of foreboding he was experiencing continued to multiply. He was sure he was in for one of his most trying classes ever.

Everyone sat up straighter as the sound of footsteps echoed down the hall into the classroom. There was no mistaking the identity of the person who was coming. Within moments, with robes billowing around him, Professor Snape entered the room.

He halted momentarily inside the door, his eyes sweeping the room until they fell upon Harry. His normal sneer changed immediately to one of pure loathing.

To Harry the hatred he felt emanating off the man was palatable and he gritted his teeth trying to keep from doing something that would only get him into trouble.

Stalking to the front of the room, Snape flicked his wand at the blackboard, causing the instructions for today's potion to appear, the Invigoration Draught.

"Each of you are to work independently and there will be no need for talking," Snape said. "I'm positive most of you will be unable to make a passing potion," he added, while staring directly at Harry.

Trying his best to ignore the barb, Harry set himself to the task of preparing his ingredients. He was chopping and grinding the appropriate items when he felt someone behind him. With a quick glance his apprehension was verified as he found Snape standing not a foot away.

"Really, Potter," the man sneered quietly into his ear. "Do you think you could make a bigger mess of things than you have?"

Harry tried his hardest to ignore the man but he couldn't help but feel his irritation rise.

"Just like your worthless father, aren't you?" Snape whispered.

Gritting his teeth, Harry tried his hardest to ignore the man and concentrate on his potion.

Gratefully, Harry felt Snape move on and he relaxed slightly.

"Ignore him," he heard Hermione whisper to him.

Talking a deep breath, he hissed back "Leave it, Hermione."

"I said no talking!" Snape snapped. "Ten points from Gryffindor."

Harry shot Hermione a scathing look, he couldn't believe that she would say something to him when she knew that Snape would take any opportunity afforded to take points, especially where he was concerned.

Harry turned back to his cauldron and lowered the heat, stirring the concoction the required number of time counter-clockwise and was pleased when it turned a light violet in colour. It wasn't quite as deep as he would have liked but he was gratified that it was almost the same shade as Hermione's and it was definitely better than the dark blue that Ron's was.

Harry breath a sigh of relief, all he needed now was to let his Draught simmer for a bit and add the last ingredient and he'd be done.

Once again he felt more than saw Snape come up behind him. "You're just as pathetic as your worthless father," Snape sneered. "Trying to get by on you fame with that abominable scar."

Harry felt his anger rising and he tried desperately to reign in his growing anger.

"You're just as arrogant and pathetic as he was," Snape continued. "He was just as spoiled a brat as you are. It's no wonder he ended up as he did."

Harry closed his eyes and felt the anger in him grow to unprecedented heights.

"You'll end up just like him. You'll never be able to take on the Dark Lord and hope to defeat him."

Harry was dimly aware that he was being to shake and he felt a rage building inside of himself that he knew he'd never be able to control.

Snape continued his diatribe but Harry could no longer understand the words being directed at him. All he knew was he wanted to stop Snape from maligning his father.

Hermione was becoming very concerned, she could tell that Harry was almost to the point of losing control. She looked at him and was astounded at the magic that surrounded him.

The other students were also noting what was happening. At first the Slytherins were quite gleeful at Snape's actions but even they were now looking afraid.

Bottles of ingredients were rattling on the shelves and all the cauldrons in the class began to shudder and bubble violently.

Snape seemed unaware of what was happening around him as he continued to verbally assault Harry, his father and his supposed celebrity status.

Harry had closed his eyes and all he saw was red. His anger continued to grow and his magic screamed for vengeance against the man who was the root of his anger.

Suddenly all the cauldrons in the class room exploded, showering their contents everywhere. They then all melted into heaps of glowing metal.

Hermione saw Snape finally become aware of what was happening around him and with a look of shock he yelled, "Everyone get out of here! Now!"

For a moment everyone stood still in shock, wide-eyed at what was taking place. The very air crackled with energy causing their hair to stand on end.

"GET OUT," Snape screamed.

In a mad dash, the students bolted for the door. Ron and Hermione last of all. Hermione paused at the door, looking back at Harry and she grew very afraid for her friend.

She saw Snape pulling his wand but he still couldn't stop from belittling the boy before him. "You are so pathetic, you can't even control your magic," he sneered derisively.

If he expected any reaction from Harry, he was sorely disappointed because the boy totally ignored the man.

Harry was now beyond all comprehension of his surroundings. All he could feel was his magic building to heights never before reached.

Hermione's eyes widened in disbelief as the room she had left continued to deteriorate from the assault by Harry's magic. Tables splintered and jars exploded, showering their contents into the maelstrom of destruction.

She gasped as Snape pointed his wand at Harry and fired off a Stunner. The results were anything but what he had expected.

The red beam of light hit the wall of magic that was now encompassing Harry and just disappeared. She saw Snape stare wide-eyed in disbelief, a look of incomprehension enveloped his face. Slack jawed he stared at the boy before him.

Then as if in retaliation, Harry's magic exploded from him. Hermione had to turn away as the brilliance of the magic blinded her. She turned back on hearing an unarticulated scream of rage and she looked on in horror as Harry stood, arms outstretched with bolts of magic streaming off of him.

Snape was flung across the room and smashed against the wall, falling senseless, blood dribbling from his mouth and nose.

The reverberating shock wave caught her and flung her down the corridor where she landed in a heap at Ron's feet.

"Hermione!" he cried in shock as a rumble shook the castle to its foundation.

**HP + GW XX HP + GW**

Ginny Weasley sat in her History of Magic class, wide awake for once. The class was without a doubt the most boring class in Hogwarts and usually she had to fight to stay awake.

Today for some reason she wasn't the least bit sleepy and she felt a growing sense of discomfort as the class went on.

For some unfathomable reason, Harry Potter kept coming to mind. She smiled slightly as she thought about him. Lately they had become more of true friends, spending some time in the common room, talking, playing chess or exploding snap or sometimes working on homework at the same table.

Of course he still spent the majority of his time with Ron and Hermione, but at least she was able to be in his presence without getting all embarrassed or tongue-tied.

Ginny shivered and glanced about her. She felt for sure something was happening, but her classmates didn't seem any different, most with their heads down on their desks, either bored or asleep.

She tried to shake off the feeling but another shiver ran through her and the hairs on her arms stood on end. Her feelings of discomfort grew and she started to become quite concerned.

Fighting her growing sense of panic, she looked around herself once more. Scrunching her eyes shut she was suddenly over come with the image of Harry but it was like nothing she had ever seen him like before. He was standing, eyes closed, enveloped in a maelstrom of magic, bolts of energy shooting from his body.

Ginny's eyes snapped open and she knew she had to get to him. She wasn't quite sure why, but she was sure she was needed.

Taking a quick glance at Professor Binns, who was standing at his podium, head down and droning on in his monotonous dialogue. Seeing that he would never notice her, she grabbed her bag and hurried out of the open door. Running as fast as she could, somehow knowing just where she needed to go.

**HP + GW XX HP + GW**

Professors Dumbledore, McGonagall, Flitwick and Sprout stood 10 yards down the corridor from the entrance to the Potions classroom. It was as close as they could get, somehow blocked from proceeding any further.

Professor Dumbledore was standing, wand in hand, trying to come up with something to get through the barrier before them. He had tried everything he could think of, but had made no progress.

The other Professors stood slightly behind him, looking gravely at the display that was coming out of the shattered door of the Potions classroom.

Professor McGonagall had just sent the very shaken up Hermione Granger off to the hospital wing with Ron Weasley after hearing her tell about what had happened.

Turning back to the venerable Headmaster, she said "Albus, can't you do anything to get through?"

With a resigned sigh he turned to her. "I wish I could but nothing I've tried has worked."

Just then a small figure came down the steps and slowed upon seeing the group before her.

"Miss Weasley, what are you doing here?" McGonagall asked her sternly.

Ginny drew up short and with a slightly abashed look said, "Harry needs me."

McGonagall's eyebrows shot up in surprise, but her stern countenance remained in place. She was just about to dismiss the girl when another loud explosion down the hall drew all their attention.

With a glance at the assembled professors, Ginny slipped by and headed forward.

"Miss Weasley," Professor Dumbledore said. "No one can . . . ." he began, but the words died on his lips.

Ginny paid him no mind as she walked slowly forward, past where no one else had been able to penetrate.

The teachers watched in surprise as the diminutive witch made her way into the classroom

The scene that Ginny found herself entering was one of total destruction. Virtually nothing before her was recognizable, even many of the stones that made up the floor and walls were cracked and broken.

Her eyes darted around the room, quickly taking in everything before her. She gave a cursory glance at Snape laying against the far wall, but gave him no further consideration. Her main focus was on the one standing in the middle of the room.

The sight took her breath away. There, with magical energy flowing off of him, stood the one she was looking for, Harry Potter.

Tears came to her eyes as she took in the look on his face. Though she could feel the rage that emanated from him, his face held something different. It was plain to her, the anguish, the hurt, the torment, all the abuse he had suffered with for so long was etched there for her to see.

Taking a deep breath, she slowly walked forward.

**HP + GW XX HP + GW**

Seeing Ginny walk forward, the professors tried to follow, but were halted just like before, getting no closer than they had previously.

Professor McGonagall looked questioningly at Albus Dumbledore, but all he could do was shrug as he had no answer for her. He turned to the other two standing there. "You might as well go back to whatever you were doing. Minerva and I will stay here and take care of things."

Flitwick and Sprout nodded though both harboured thoughts on to what exactly Albus and Minerva were going to do was beyond them.

**HP + GW XX HP + GW**

Ginny was aware of the powerful magic that swirled around her and though it seemed to be causing major destruction to the surrounding room, it was not affecting her. So intent was she on Harry that she didn't notice the soft glowing cocoon that surrounded her.

Focusing totally on the one before her, she slowly approached. "Harry," she called out softly. "You need to stop.

**HP + GW XX HP + GW**

Harry was lost, he no longer was aware of anything around him. His mind totally taken over by his memories of the past. All the abuse and hurt that had been heaped upon him consumed him.

His very soul cried out in anguish at all he had been forced to endure and it had finally caught up to him. The pain he was enduring had finally taken him beyond his breaking point and he was sure he'd never be able to get back.

Images beyond number swirled through him. A flash of green light, accompanied by maniacal laughter. His aunt, uncle and cousin, hitting him, verbally accosting him, hating his very existence. The loneliness and despair he had endured growing up in a house where he wasn't wanted. Every instance, every minute of his life that had hurt him came and swept through him. He thought he'd die from the pain of it all.

Time held no meaning. Even his sense of self was lost. Then just when he was sure that there would never be anything to break through his pain, he heard a soft, comforting voice. "Harry, you need to stop."

**HP + GW XX HP + GW**

Ginny walked over to where Harry stood, ridged, his magic totally out of control. Though there was a sense of urgency, she moved unhurriedly, knowing that to rush in would not be helpful.

Tenderly she reached out and gently pulled his outstretched arms down to his side. She wrapped her arms around him, taking him in a gentle embrace.

"Come back to me," she urged softly. "I'm here for you."

Ever so slowly, she felt Harry begin to relax and as he did the waves of magic emanating from him began to subside.

Ginny hugged him tighter to her body, letting her hands gently caress him where she could reach. She rubbed small circles on his back and rested her cheek next to his.

"That's it, Harry," she whispered. "Just relax and let me help you."

More and more she felt Harry lean on her for support until he finally all but collapsed into her arms. She felt his breath hitch once and then again. He then took in a deep breath and let out such an anguished cry that it broke her heart to hear it.

She held him as deep sobs wracked his body. All the while she kept caressing him and whispering comforting words into his ear.

Slowly the sobs diminished and she felt his arms come up and wrap around her. His eyes opened and looking into hers, the pain and torment still deeply evident.

"Ginny," he sobbed, desperately, pleadingly.

She tenderly ran her hand up and cupped his cheek and just when she thought things would be all right, she watched as Harry's eyes rolled up and he passed out, collapsing into her.

Her heart skipped a beat, but started again when she felt his pulse beat in his neck.

"Oh Harry," she cried softly as the tears coursed down her face.

**HP + GW XX HP + GW**

Albus and Minerva stood waiting, frustrated that they couldn't see what was happening just a few short yards from where they were standing.

Unbelievable to them was the way in which Ginny had so calmly walked past them and entered into the room before them when no one else had been able to.

The minutes passed by like hours as they waited and then miraculously the barrier that prevented them from moving forward disappeared. The two professors hurried forward and entered the classroom. Both halted short as they surveyed the scene before them. The devastation was complete, nothing recognizable met their eyes.

The only thing that looked anyway near normal was the young girl who held an equally young boy in her arms. Tears were streaming down her face as she gently rocked the unconscious boy in her lap.

Snapping back to himself, Albus Dumbledore sprang into action. "Minerva, if you would, please see to Severus," he said authoritatively.

Shooting him a glare as she would have rather tended to her Gryffindors, she went over to the prostrate Potion's Master. "He's alive," she called out. The fact took her by surprise. With the level of destruction she had held out little hope for the man.

"Can you get him to Poppy?" the Headmaster asked, barely glancing her way. His focus was on the pair on the other side of the room.

"I'd rather not be responsible for moving him," Minerva responded as she shot out a Patronus to summon the school matron. She then rose and made her way over to where the Headmaster was as he surveyed the two students.

Ginny was still rocking and holding the form of Harry. Then in a move that surprised the elder wizard, she turned her attention to him.

"This is all your fault," she accused scathingly. With a look of pure loathing she stared at the Headmaster. "Why did you leave him there? Why did you do nothing about that miserable excuse for a teacher and the way he treated Harry?" she spat, nodding in the direction of the comatose Snape. "Why didn't you ever care?" she added in a hoarse whisper.

"Miss Weasley!" McGonagall began in reprimand, but then she saw the look of guilt on Albus' face and she found herself struck speechless.

"Albus?" she asked softly, after a moment.

With a heavy sigh, he replied sadly, "Alas, I can not fault Miss Weasley for her observations and poignant comments."

Further conversation was halted by the arrival of Madam Pomfrey who took one look at the classroom and shook her head. Darting a scathing glance at the headmaster she set right to work. First checking on Snape she determined that the man needed immediate medical attention, she quickly conjured a stretcher for him and then turned her attention to Harry.

She carefully approached the couple on the floor. Ginny was kneeling with Harry laying in her lap. She had her one arm around him, holding him close as she gently caressed his face.

As she arrived where they sat, the matron made eye contact with Ginny. Unsurprisingly tears were streaming down the girls face. As their eyes met, Ginny, her voice filled with anguish, said, "He shouldn't have to suffer like this. No one should have to endure what he does."

Poppy was taken by the emotions that she felt coming from the young redhead. Nodding her head in agreement, she said softly, "I need to check on Harry." Almost as if to get Ginny's approval.

Ginny just nodded, but didn't stop her ministrations to comfort the boy in her lap. Poppy quickly cast several diagnostic charms and was surprised but gratified to find nothing more wrong than a bit of magical exhaustion. The thing that worried her was the spells could only deal with physical maladies. There was no telling what psychological damage may have been done.

Conjuring another stretcher, she had Ginny help place Harry on it. Levitating the stretcher, she made her way towards the door, pausing only to summon the stretcher that held Snape.

Once Harry was placed on the stretcher, Ginny took hold of Harry's hand and looked down on the unconscious boy. Poppy was surprised at the depth of the emotions that she witnessed on the girls face.

Just as they were about to exit the door, Albus turned and looked at Ginny. "Miss Weasley, perhaps it would be best if you returned to your classes."

Minerva and Poppy were shocked when Ginny turned to the Headmaster and with a look of steely determination, said "I think not. Harry needs me and I plan on being there for him."

Albus was about to reply but he was cut off by Minerva. "Let her be Albus," she said in a tone that indicated that she would not be denied.

With a resigned sigh, Albus just nodded his head in defeat.

**HP + GW XX HP + GW**

When the small group made its way into the hospital wing, Madam Pomfrey gave Harry one last quick check. Finding nothing wrong except his magical exhaustion, she asked Ginny to stay and watch over him while she went to tend to Professor Snape. Ginny was more than happy to comply with the request.

The matron quickly made her way over to the injured professor. What she found astounded her. Besides the multiple broken bones he had sustained major internal damage. Virtually every organ had sustained some sort of damage, from very minor to extremely major.

She worked quickly to stabilize the most pressing problems. She was able to repair one of the man's kidneys but the second was beyond all hope of repair. Next were the spleen and pancreas, luckily she was able to heal them to an acceptable level as she did for the liver.

Last were the lungs and heart. One lung was collapsed, which she was able to re-inflate with a minimum of effort and lastly she was able to repair the minor damage to the heart. Luckily it had only sustained bruising or the man probably wouldn't have lived long enough to make it to the hospital.

She then turned her attention to the many broken bones. Both legs has sustained simple fractures that she was able to heal easily, along with the fractured skull.

More problematic were the arms, especially Snape's wand arm and hand. To all appearances every bone in his hand and arm had been pulverized beyond all recognition and his left arm wasn't much better.

Shaking her head, she saw no other recourse but to vanish all the broken bones and regrow them with Skele-Gro. She immobilized both arms and banished the damaged bones.

Lastly she turned her attention to his wand hand and the multiple fragments of wood she found there. On closer inspection she found that they were the remains from Snape's wand which had obviously exploded and embedded what looked like hundreds of splinters into the man's hand.

Because many had remnants of the magical core attached, she had to remove them one by one, taking the matron a couple of hours to accomplish.

Finally she stopped, having done all she could for the Potions Master for the time being. Rolling her tired shoulders and neck, she cast a monitoring charm and headed for her office for some much needed rest.

**HP + GW XX HP + GW**

Ginny barely noticed as the matron left to attend to Snape. She looked Harry over and since she had been left to care for him, she took a good look at him.

In word, he was a mess. His face was splattered with god knew what smashed potions ingredients and his robes and clothing was in tatters from the massive expenditure of uncontrolled magic.

Since his clothing was beyond any hope of repair, she simple took her wand out and banished everything after covering him with a blanket. She then took a basin and flannel from the stand next to the bed and proceeded to wash off all the gook that she could find.

She started with his hands and arms and once she was done that she turned her attention to his face and neck.

It was while she was washing his face that Harry's eyes fluttered open. Ginny smiled at first but it quickly faded. His expression was totally bland and his eyes didn't move or acknowledge her presence at all, he just stared straight ahead, eyes unfocused.

Ginny paused in her ministrations and softly called his name. "Harry."

She was gratified when his eyes flicked to her and seemed to focus on her face but when didn't say anything else, his eyes returned to staring straight ahead and lose their focus once again.

"Harry," she called again.

Once more his eyes shifted over to look at her, but after a moment they slid away once more.

Noticing that he seemed to respond to her voice she began softly talking to him.  
"Harry, can you lift your head for me?"

When she paused for an answer, Harry's eyes once again slid out of focus and drifted away from her.

Ginny felt a pain in her chest as her heart hurt for the boy laying before her and fighting back the tears she felt forming, she turned her attention back to Harry. She began talking to him, keeping to light things, just giving him a monologue of whatever came to mind. As long as she kept talking, Harry's eyes remained focused on her, staring intently, focused on her face.

She had been working and talking for about fifteen minutes when she noticed his eyes begin to droop and within moment, his eyes finally shut as he fell asleep.

Having done as much as she could to clean him up, she stopped what she was doing. She gave him a good once over and she was pleased with what she had accomplished. He was quite clean, except for his hair. She had done as good a job with it as she could, but she knew it'd need a good washing to be totally clean.

With a sigh, she tossed the flannel into the basin and sat down heavily into the chair beside his bed. She tenderly ran her fingers through his fringe, smiling wanly, wishing she had been able to get his hair cleaner.

She had been sitting there just staring at the now peaceful looking face of the sleeping Harry, wondering what had happened and the situation she and Harry now found themselves in.

Lost in her thoughts, she was startled when Madam Pomfrey came up behind her and asked, "How is he doing?"

Fighting back her tears she told the matron about Harry waking up but how detached and unresponsive he had been. The whole time, she continued to stroke her fingers through Harry's hair.

Poppy gave her a sad smile. "I'm not that surprised," she told the distraught Ginny. "Hopefully he'll come around soon."

Ginny gave a small nod of her head, the sadness she felt evident on her face as she continued to stare at Harry's sleeping form.

The matron cast a couple of diagnostic spells over Harry's body, checking one more time on his physical condition. "His body seems to recovering well," she said softly. Leaving unsaid about what might have been going on in his mind.

"Now it's rather late and since Mr Potter is asleep, perhaps you should head back to Gryffindor Tower," Poppy said, giving Ginny the once over.

Ginny looked up at her with a mixture of pleading and determination. "Madam Pomfrey, you're obviously exhausted from treating Professor Snape. If it's all right with you, I'd rather stay in case Harry needs attention in the middle of the night. Please can't I stay?"

The matron eyed her critically, her face scrunching in concentration. "All right, Miss Weasley. You may stay. But if anything untold happens you must come and get me immediately. Have I made myself clear?"

Ginny nodded gratefully. "Yes, Madam Pomfrey, and thank you for letting me stay."

The matron gave her a curt nod and after dimming the lights with a wave of her wand, she disappeared into her office, heading for her quarters that lay behind it.

Ginny turned her attention back to Harry and noticed that the peaceful look that had been on his face had disappeared. He looked like he was troubled, a frown furrowing his brow.

During her talk with Madam Pomfrey, she had stopped her ministrations, so she started once again to gently run her fingers through his hair. At the same time she began to softly hum a gentle tune that she recalled from her childhood.

It took a moment but Ginny was glad to see the look on Harry's face soften as the sense of peacefulness returned to his features.

Ginny adjusted her chair so it was now facing Harry's bed. She continued to softly stroke her fingers through Harry's hair while taking his closest hand in her other one. Slowly her tiredness took over and her head drooped down until it rested on the bed in close proximity to Harry's.

**HP + GW XX HP + GW**

**A/N: While working on the next chapter for broken, this popped into my head and wouldn't leave me alone until I just had to start writing it down. I hope you like it and I should have the next chapter of Broken up soon.**

**As always, reviews are greatly appreciated.**


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